Pin insertion tool



.J. S. CERRA PIN INSERTION TOOL 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOSEPH S. CERRA BY I 1! f W- M-f ATTORNEY.

Filed April 25, 1967 II mRQ ll lll Oct. 22, 1968 J. 5. CERRA PIN INSERTION TOOL 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 25, 1967 INVENTOR. JOSEPH S. CERRA ATTORNEY.

06. 22, J, 5. CERRA PIN INSERTION TOOL 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 25, 1967 IN VENTOR. JOSEPH S. CERRA ATTORNEY.

3,406,764 PIN INSERTIONTOOL v g, Joseph S. Cerra, Needham, Mass., assignor to Sylvauia Electric Products Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 25,1967, SenNo. 633,601

4 Claims. (Cl. '173'-'-55) ABSTRACT OF THE 'DISCLOSURE A pin insertion tool for seating pins into a receptacle including a gripping mechanism adapted tograsp a pin and slidably mounted within a tool housing and a semiautomatic. impact assembly also disposed within the'ho using and operative to provide a force which is transmitted via the gripping mechanism to seat the pin. The gripping mechanism closes on a pin as the mechanism moves rearward in the housing by the action of a first camming sur face locatedwithin the. housing, and further closes onto the pin during the seating thereof by the actionof a second camming surface cooperating with the gripping mechanism. i

Background of the invention 1 t This invention relates to pin insertion tools and, more particularly, to a tool for inserting tapered pinsinto a connector block or other receptacle. 7

In the manufacture and maintenance of electronic equipment, ther e is often a requirement for constructing or rewiring densely wired connector blocks. Thisrequirement is met generally by attaching a Wire to a connectorpin insertion tool. Most tools used to insert the pins require some lateral movement when disengaging the pin from the tool which is a disadvantage not only because of the wiring density, but also because this lateral movement often and then inserting the pin in a connector block with an results in unseating the pins. It would be advantageous to have, and it is an object of this invention to provide a pin insertion tool that can seat and disengage a pin in a connector block and withdraw therefrom Withouta lateral movement.

Summary of the invention Briefly, a pin insertion tool according to the invention comprises an elongated housing having agripping mechanism including a pair of jaws adapted to engage a pin, slidably mounted in the front portion thereof and an impact mechanism in the rear portion of the housing with a camming block disposed between the gripping and impact mechanisms. A camming surface within the front portion of the housing is operative upon rearward movement of the gripping mechanism to close the jaws of this mechanism, and a camming surface of the gripping mechanism cooperates with the camming block to urge the jaws tightly closed as the gripping mechanism moves further rearward and triggers the impact mechanism.

'In operation, the jaws of the gripping mechanism close on a pin to be inserted as the mechanism is moved rearward in the tool housing by a trigger suitably connected to the gripping mechanism. The pin is then placed into the connector by a forward motion of the tool and by continuing the forward motion, the gripping mechanism is driven further into the tool housing until the impact mechanism is tripped, thereby seating the tapered pin in the connector block. By withdrawing the tool along the axis of entry, the jaws of the gripping mechanism are automatically opened and no lateral forces are exerted on the pins.

Brief description of the drawings The invention will be more fully described in the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

3,406,764 Patented Oct. 22, 1968 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a tool according to the invention; and

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are cross-sectional side views of the tool at progressive stages of its operation.

Detailed description of the invention Referring to FIG. 1, the illustrated insertion tool comprises an elongatedhousing 10 with a handle 12 suitably fastened on the bottom side of the housing, for example by machine screws (not shown). A channel 14, machined within the front portion of housing 10, contains a slidably mounted gripping mechanism 16, a camming surface, 18 machined on the upper surface of channel 14, an

impact'mechanism 22 contained within the rear portion of the housing, and a block 20 slidably mounted between gripping mechanism 16 and impact mechanism 22. A trigger 24 is attached via screws 13 to gripping mechanism 16 through a slot 26in the bottom surface of the a shaped at an angle compatible with the camming surface 36 on the forward surface of block 20.

The impact mechanism 22 includes a shaft housing 38 affixed to tool housing 10 and containing a slidably mounted shaft 40 extending beyond both ends of the shaft housing, a disk 42 coaxially mounted on shaft 40 by a pin 44 passing through the diameter of the disk and shaft 40, and a spring 46 coaxially disposed around shaft 40 having its front end engaged by disk 42 and its rear end engaged against an adjusting screw 48. The rear end of shaft 40 is in contact with a pair of teeth 50 of a slidably mounted release mechanism 52 which includes a set of arms 54a and 54b pivotally mounted via respective fulcrums 56a and 56b seated in grooved surfaces 58 on the top and bottom of an anvil 60. An elastic ring 62 set in a I groove at the forward end of arms 54a and 54b retains teeth 50 in a closed position. A coaxially mounted impact spring 64 is contained between a cup shaped rear section 61 of anvil 60 and an adjusting screw 66 threshably attached to the rear end of housing 10. A camming surface68 is provided in the rear portion of housing 10, this surface being operative in conjunction with the rear surfaces 65 and 67 of respective arms 54a and 54b to open teeth 50 to allow spring 64 to drive anvil 60 against the rear surface of shaft 40 to thereby transmit a force via block 20 and jaws 13 and 15 to seat pin 17 in a connector.

The operation of the tool in grasping a pin and seating it in a connector block will now be described in conjunction with FIGS. 1-4, in FIG. 1, the jaws 13 and 15 of the gripping mechanism are illustrated in the open position, with a tapered connector pin 17 and attached wire 19 inserted into but not clamped by the jaws. The jaws are closed onto pin 17 by moving the gripping mechanism rearward into tool housing 10 via trigger 24. As seen in FIG. 2, during a rearward movement of gripping mechanism 16, arms 28 and 30 slide within channel 14 and the rear surface 29 of arm 28 cooperates with camming surface 18 to close jaws 13 and 15 onto pin 17. The gripping mechanism is moved rearward in housing 10 until surfaces 29 and 31 of respective arms 28 and 30 engage surface 36 of block 20.

The pin is next inserted into a hole in a connector block 72, as seen in FIG. 3, and by pushing tool housing 10 against connector block 72, by'means of handle 12,'

During the initial insertion of the pin into the connector block, shaft 40 of the impact mechanism is moved rearward against spring 46, and engages teeth 50 to force release mechanism 52 rearward compressing spring 64 within housing 10. At a point in the rearward travel of this release .mechanism (FIG. 4), surfaces 65 and 67 of respective arms 54a-and 54b mate with camming surface 68 of housing 10, causing teeth 50 to open and allowing anvil 60 to spring forward to strike shaft 40. The force of this impact drives pin 17 further into connector block 72 to fully seat it. The impact force can be regulated by adjusting screw 66 to vary the compression of spring 64.

After impact, the tool is withdrawn axially of the pin, the tapered pin remaining clamped between jaws 13 and 15 until surface 29 of arm 28 passes over camming surface 18 causing jaws 13 and 15 to open and thereby releasing the pin. The straight line withdrawal motion to remove the insertion tool eliminates any twisting or lateral movement that could result in unseating the pin from its connector.

The invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiment shown and described herein but is to embrace the full scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool for inserting a pin into a receptacle and sequentially operable to grasp a pin to be inserted, more tightly grasp said pin as it is being inserted, provide an impact force to said pin to seat it, and release said pin after it is seated, said tool comprising:

an elongated housing including a handle secured thereto and within a front portion thereof a channel containing a first camming surface;

a gripping mechanism including a pair of jaws adapted to grasp a pin, and a pair of arms pivotably linked to said jaws, said arms being slidably mounted within said channel, at least one of said arms including a surface which mates with said first camming surface 4 at one point in the travel of said arms in said channel to cause said jaws to close;

means for slidably moving said gripping mechanism within said housing;

' a block slidably mounted within said channel and having a second camming surface operative at another point in the travel of said arms to engage a portion of said arms to cause a further gripping force on said jaws; and

a; h an impact mechanisrncontained within the rear portion spring having its front surface resting against the rear surface of said disk operative to urge said disk and shaft in a forward direction, a first adjusting screw connected to said shaft housing operative to adjust the force of said first spring, an anvil, a second spring operative to urge said anvil in a forward direction, a second adjusting screw operative to adjust the compression of said second spring, and release means operative to release said anvil to strike the rear surface of said shaft.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said pair of arms includes a spring mounted between said arms and operative to urge said arms apart, and an inclined surface on the rear portion thereof adapted to cooperatewith said second camming surface of said block to urge said arms toward each other.

I 4. The invention according to claim 3 wherein said pair of arms further includes a trigger mechanism secured to one of said pair of arms through a slot in the lower surface'of said housing and operative to slidably move I said gripping mechanism along the longitudinal axis of said housing.

References Cited 12/ 1962 Australia.

NILE C. BYERS, JR., Primary Examiner. 

